I have long been called a Druid blogger. And yes, it is true that I write a blog. And one of my characters in World of Warcraft is a Druid.

However, that is not the only character that I play. And playing WoW is not the only subject upon which I choose to write.

In fact, I think it is safe to say that, over the last year or more, I have blogged about my opinions concerning other things at least as frequently as I have about Druids.

This is not an aberration. This is “Working as intended.”

Now, I’ll grant you that the tagline up there at the top of the blog says Feral Druids in World of Warcraft. And the casual reader may take this to mean that the subjects upon which I will discourse should, necessarily, be limited to Feral Druiding.

Well, I am the Big Bear Butt. Sadly, this will remain true no matter what game I should happen to play. At this point it has little to do with a class or spec. That picture up there? I swear Andrige had a picture of my face when he made it. Wierd.

So, limit myself to only Feral Druid blogging?

I disagree.

Expecting me to limit myself to reader-approved subject matter is an understandable mistake. I’ve seen it often before.

I’ve occasionally received comments and emails chastising me for wasting peoples’ time on my personal opinions, when I should be writing about *x* concerning Feral Druids.

Indeed, the very phrase “wasting my time with non-Druid crap” has been used, more than once.

Much more than once.

Allow me to correct this attitude.

I created the blog.

I, with the support of the lovely Cassieann, pay for the website. We write all of the content. We, in fact, have upon our shoulders 100% of the responsibility of maintaining this pursuit.

This blog was not started to cater to the Feral Druid hardcore raider.

That is the furthest thing that could have ever been on my mind.

In fact, it often puzzles me why anyone that is a hardcore raider would bother to read this, because in order to succeed in what they do, they must have learned all that I could possibly have to teach on their own long, long before. And mastered it in far more arduous circumstances.

I prefer to think that such folks read the blog simply as a source of humor, amusement, and light chat on Druids and WoW and whatever else is on my mind.

Which is, in fact, the POINT.

If someone reading this believes that I should stick to writing about one class, or spec, and cease prattling about any other subject, that I am wasting your time… you, sir, are inherently NOT the person that I am writing for.

In fact, I would say that my goals here are to write about 80% to amuse and entertain and chat with friends and bloggers and readers possessed of a similar sense of humor, and about 20% to share news and tips and neat stuff that I happen to run across in my play or in life in general.

Do you see anywhere in there where I feel it is my responsibility to be the premiere source of Feral Druid news and instruction in the blogosphere? Or that I feel I have a responsibility to only talk about Feral Druids, so as to not waste your time on irrelevant topics or concerns?

Nope.

Now, if it is Druid news and awesomeness you desire, there are many other folks that write truly brilliant Druid blogs, and it is to them that you should turn.

Okay, I started to list all the awesome Druid bloggers I read, and realized that is way beyond the scope of this post.

The point is, there are a lot of Druid bloggers, and when I started, there were none. So yeah, I was excited to share tips and tricks and helpful guides. I felt that it was something I could provide, in addition to the other stuff I was interested in writing about and having fun with.

Since I knew about it, and all.

Now? Now there are so many great Druid blogs, I can rest assured anything I might discover or think to talk about for Druids will have been mentioned already by someone, somewhere, and very well at that.

Maybe it’s the whole WoW Insider thing. I accepted responsibility for writing a column there, and that might have pigeonholed me as “that Druid guy”.

Let me make this absolutely clear; WoW Insider owns Shifting Perspectives. It is their column, and was being written long before I started there. They did great articles before me, and I’m sure they would continue to provide great articles without me. Quite a few of the bloggers there play Feral Druids in serious raids, and in fact it might make for better articles in general if someone like Allison Robert took over, since she sees a lot more content than I ever will, and is a great writer to boot.

This blog, gentle readers, is not WoW Insider. It is the blog Cassie and I started over a year ago.

Hmmm, August 17th, 2007 was my first post. Okay, missed that, should have done an anniversary post.

What was I saying?

Oh yes, this ain’t WoW Insider. Whatever expectations you may have from WoW Insider, if you carry them over to here, damn but you’re going to be disappointed.

It is purely our decision on what we choose to write about.

If Cassie chooses to write about her experiences with the Angel Food Ministries, then she is certainly free to do so. Nay, she is in fact encouraged by me to do so.

If I choose to vent about the customer service experiences I’ve had in the past, I will certainly do so.

In fact, I think it’s safe to say that I reserve the right to say anything, or nothing at all. About anything, or nothing. Depending entirely on the lunar winds, the relative humidity, and whether my cat meowed or not as I left for work.

I may, in the future, even devote an entire article on bacon, if I happen to feel like it. I know, call me crazy, but it could happen.

Hell, maybe even two.

I do love my Feral Druid. And I love it when you write me with a question that may be on your mind, and I’m able to help out a bit. We’re all in this together, and if I can possibly help, I will. I appreciate your taking the time to read, and I enjoy hearing from you.

That still doesn’t mean that, if you think I suck and you tell me you are no longer going to read, that I am going to shed a single, solitary tear. If you don’t enjoy reading, why in the world would I want you to stay? Why IN THE WORLD would I want someone to continue to read that thinks I suck, and enjoys telling me so?

By all means, if you don’t enjoy the blog and think I suck, LEAVE.

I mean, it’s not like I need you for pagehits. You know, there are no paid advertisements here. Really. I don’t make any money doing this. Your visiting is not putting money in my pocket. The Cafepress store? For the longest time there was no markup at all on those shirts. Your money went 100% to Cafepress. I finally added a single dollar to some of the items, to help me afford to buy shirts and items to give away.

I think I’ve made about $14 so far, and used it to give some shirts away, so it’s a draw.

This isn’t a business or a money-making venture, we do this because it’s FUN, and we LIKE the folks we’ve met here, and enjoy spending time with you. We don’t WANT asshats here. Why would we?

With a proven track record for saying what I want to say, when I want to say it, in whichever way seems right to me….

Does anyone here really think that telling me what I can or cannot talk about is going to do anything other than get a /facepalm?

A place for everyone, and everyone in their place? A topic for everyone, and everyone sticks to their topic?

I don’t think so.

If someone doesn’t like me talking about a certain subject, such as pet errors on my Hunter, or how to configure PetEmote, or how much fun it is to tame and name a Devilsaur… and feels free to criticise me for doing so….

Then perhaps that person should damn well write about those issues themselves on their blog, instead of making yet another movie or podcast.

Post navigation

48 thoughts on “You think THAT is an over-reaction?”

Ummmm……. I have to believe that this is just both BRK & BBBB have fun at the readers expense. If not……. LOOSEN UP!!!!! BRK’s post was hilarious!! To take this as anything but pure, unadulterated humor suggests that this economy is way worse than I thought, and BBBB needs a tall drink.

Mmmmk, just read this post aaaaand yeah…I can understand you can sometimes get the incorrect vibe for certain posts. Maybe it was a bad day or whatnot and you could not see he was joking? Either way, from what I gather, he apologized and he is a good guy.

To all of you in the comments that posted “Its OBVIOUS that he was joking” Maybe its obvious to you who sit and read all of the BRK all the time? Seriously let me address Chesko here.

YOU ARE AN ASSHAT.

Please go the fuck away. You came here with the intent to BE AN ASSHAT. It is not OBVIOUS and CLEAR that he was joking around. If it was then this post would not have been made…. DURRR! Your kind just piss the hell outta me. I hope EVERY SINGLE one of the items you roll on are lost to a Ret paladin. No matter what the item, it shall be lost to the ret paladin.

Oh nice! A gun’s and roses lyric quote. 😀
One of my favourite songs that one. 😛 Anyway…I read both yours and BRK’s blogs, and you are the reason that I actually play both a druid and a hunter. So I’ll take this as banter, because you both are the best.
Thanks for a great blog.

pbbbt! A blog is nothing if not a place for the writer to express him or herself. In fact, my two favorite cookbooks are peppered with personal experiences and anecdotes… wait… I’m Secret Agent Cat… why am I talking about cookbooks? OMG I LOVE TO COOK!

anyhoo, I’m usually drawn to something because of the good solid information. I stay because people like you are willing to share their personal lives with me. 🙂

Keep doing what you are doing. I enjoy your blog everyday. I posted the information on Angel Food Ministries on the bulletin board at work, because frankly a lot folks need help nowadays. I even liked the Democrat joke and I am a lifelong Democrat. Keep doing what you are doing. Your blog is always fun and informative.

Seriously.. I love both the BRK blogs and BBB blogs, plus a good dozen more.
Many a time I’ve read a post here and gone back to play my Feral Druid for a while.. and BRK keeps me interested in my Hunter, and so on and so forth. I also like Airman Howell’s post, and John, as you quite rightly said, IT’S YOUR BLOG! You can do what you please.. and I enjoy it all.

Amen reverand Butt. When I first stumbled across this Blog, I came with expectations of learning about Druiding, and indeed I have, and so much more. It has provided me with many giggles, much insight into the game, educated me on a number of things, and is the original inspiration for me to create my own little blog-corner.

I hope you continue to post about what you damn well please, and the key point that I dont remember spotting: If anyone is not interested in the post at hand, skip it, darnit! I sure dont read every post every blogger writes – I have some 20-30 blogs on my RSS feed to work through, many update several times a day. Thats a LOT of blog-posts to go through! Then again, maybe being a working family man, I actually need to be efficient with my time and cant read every word of every post I find and then Troll it…

I play more hunters than druids (my sad little druid is lost on a PvP server around L27, as opposed to 2 L70 hunters and a L65 in the wing) but I find myself reading this blog far more than I read BRK’s. Why? Because I like it’s diversity. I like the different angles, I like how you make me feel you’re having fun playing whereas I feel BRK’s blog is always giving me a sense of “it’s not good being a casual player”.

Oh well, I hope there’s a misunderstanding at the bottom of this, rather than a true attempt to start a blog-war.

The random stuff is really why I read your blog, hell I don’t really play a druid at all, but your posts are one of the first I’ll pick out of the google reader. And there has been a little too much videos on *that* guys blog and little about specs and new talents and skills to help us confused hunters out.

Hrmm. Well I gotta admit, I got the “’twas all in fun” vibes from BRK– no harm intended. However, it’s understandable that he hit a nerve. I understand that it’s hard to blog about just one class all the time, if you play many, and I think it’s certainly a fine thing to do, so blog on, in my mind! /bear hugs (aha see what I did there? /hide)

Avid reader of BRK and BBB. Honestly think you jumped the gun a little, BRK hit a nerve obviously but i think few would disagree that his post was anything but lighthearted and playful (except for you initially). Honestly your comments on his blog come across as a half-hearted attempt at damage control. A little disappointing.

I’m with the commenters above. Is this a real tiff or are they actually upset at each other? My money’s on a real tiff as neither framed their pieces well enough to convey a joke (or just as likely my reading complrehension is dropping).

Either way don’t stop writing either of you.

*makes a mental note to start a fight with another blogger to spice things up*

I’m not entirely sure how anyone who reads BRK’s blog enough to trade jabs as much as the two of you do could ever mistake what he posted originally as a serious insult. I love BOTH your blogs and you’ve BOTH inspired me to play two toons that I hold dearly, but honestly, methinks thou dost protest too much.

I Love this site. I have it setup to let me know when it is updated ever time. Regardless of what you write. Some stuff I don’t read but i browse over it. I know that the Awsomness that is Big Bear Butt has really good information. Like he said, it is his site.

Great information you wrote. Keep up the great work. (I just recently started a hunter, so the information he has there is great to)

Feh, imo, unless you’re getting paid to write your blog, you can blog about whatever you want to blog about. I love reading your fun story time stories as much as I’ve enjoyed learning more about my tanking druid.

My blog is a ‘warlock themed’ blog, but as I freely admit in the subtitle, I reserve the right to write about any aspect of WoW life (or anything, though I don’t quite say it that way) that I decide to write about.

The same is true for you! So, write whatever you want to write… include racoons, home made traps and hand made bullets – it makes for interesting reading.

And bacon. Bacon good. I know someone who is a vegetarian EXCEPT for bacon. Seriously.

To be honest, I saw his this morning and laughed. I think I got the joke. But at the same time I went “ouch”. Not the best way to express humor. But you know what, I like both blogs. Your’s for general stuff about WoW, his for specifics on my class. So keep it up, and don’t let a slightly whacked sense of humor get you down. We love you!

Yeah, as the above posters said, way to overreact. It was pretty unbelievably clear and obvious that BRK was making a joke post as he does ALL THE TIME. Get off your high horse and laugh at what was clearly a post made in jest.

I thought it was pretty obvious that BRK’s post was complete kind-hearted sarcasm. He’s a good guy, and I read his post as making fun of folks that would freak out over something like a druid blogger posting about hunters. I wouldn’t think for a second that he was actually seriously taking offense.

um..wow. I read the offending article and took it as a it was meant I light hearted post. I love both these bloggers and it’s blatantly obviousy that mr. Hunter blogger didnt mean or imply anything (I dont think he has a mean bone in his body). Fortunately he has apologiesed post haste.

Here’s hoping the 2 best wow/random stuff writers on the net today can smooth this out 🙂

I have to say I didn’t really think BRK’s blog entry was meant to be taken seriously. It just seemed a light hearted faux fanatical rant to further his quirky insistence on being a hunter and only a hunter.

I, personally, love your blog, and the variety that comes with it. I actually looked into the Angel Food Ministries (which I had never heard of before) after reading Cassie’s post, downloaded and configured PetEmote (still need to create some custom ones) after reading your post, and lol’d when you named your Devilsaur. I just wish I’d thought of it first (of course, my hunter is only 18, so it’s not like I could have done it…)

In short, keep up the great work BBB!

Oh, and I’m eagerly awaiting the possible, tentative, may never happen, somewhere in the nebulous future post on all things bacon. Mmmm bacon.